Quotations of the day

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” — Pope Francis striking a conciliatory stance toward gays during an extraordinary 82-minute exchange with reporters aboard his plane returning from his first papal trip, to celebrate World Youth Day in Brazil.

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“Child prostitution remains a persistent threat to children across the country. We’re trying to put this spotlight on pimps and those who would exploit.” — Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s criminal investigative division in a statement after authorities rescued 105 young people and arrested 150 alleged pimps in a three-day sweep in 76 cities.

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“It sounds like we’re lucky to have decades of experience ready to come back to the table and make an effort to push forward.” — State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki as the Obama administration launched a fresh bid to pull Israel and the Palestinians into substantive negotiations in a an effort to bring peace to the Middle East.